Episode 443 – The Collapse – Facing Backward Podcasts

This week: why did the Japanese Socialist Party and the left more generally utterly fail to capitalize on the momentum of the largest protest in Japanese history? We’ll cover everything from party infighting to….well, spoilers, it’s mostly party infighting.

Sources

Kapur, Nick. Japan at the Crossroads: Conflict and Compromise After Anpo.

Soukup, James R. “Labor and Politics in Japan: A Study of Interest-Group Attitudes and Activities.” The Journal of Politics 22, No 2 (May, 1960).

Garon, Sheldon, and Mike Mochizuki. “Negotiating Social Contracts.” From Postwar Japan as History, ed. Andrew Gordon.

Images

Eda Saburo during his time as party chairman.

A televised debate from the 1960 general election. Nishio Suehiro is on the left; Ikeda Hayato is in the middle; Eda Saburo is on the right. From Getty Images.

Divisions between center and left socialists remained through the 1960s. This image is from the JSP’s 1966 leadership election; Eda Saburo is conceding to the left socialist Sasaki Kozo. From Getty Images.

Zengakuren students breaking through the walls of the Diet on June 15, 1960. From the Asahi Shinbun.

1 thought on “Episode 443 – The Collapse”

Ah, the great pastime of leftist movements: factional infighting. Every single time. We even see it today in America. Some leftists are more concerned with ideological purity than getting anything done.

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